Refrigerator



May 29, 1934 T. J. KAVANAUGH 1,960,911

REFRIGERATOR Filed April 29, '1932 2 sheets-sheet 1 Afro/@Niv REFRIGERATOR Filed April 29. 1932 2 shefts-sheet 2 figa ` 35 said casing being Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ics REFRIGERATOR Application April 29, 1932, Serial No. 608,185 1o claims. (c1. fsa-37.3)

This invention relates generally to refriger-v ators, and more specically to refrigerators of the display case type, the predominant object of the invention being to produce an improved 5 display case refrigerator of such improved construction that currents of cold air may be caused to move through the display case over a course which will result in the meats or other foods which are displayed in the display case being subjected to the maximum cooling effect of said cold air.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved refrigerator of the type disclosed herein 'which includes ice-receivv ing receptacles arranged for convenient movement into and out of the refrigerator.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved display case refrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the staggered line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the improved refrigerator.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the means for slidably supporting the ice-receiving receptacles of the improved structure.

In the drawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates my improved display case refrigerator generally. The display case refrigerator A comprises a casing which may be of any suitable construction and may be formed of any suitable material, the various walls of said casing being suitably insulated, and

provided with suitable doors to allow access to the interior of the display case and with proper 'transparent wall portions whereby persons may view the articles of food displayed within the display case.

0 Arranged within the display case and at the lower portion thereof is an ice chamber B which extends the entire length of the interior of the case, said ice chamber being constituted by the bottom, front. rear, and end walls of the case and by a shelf l at the top of said ice chamber. The shelf l preferably, though not necessarily, is comprised of a plurality of interengaging shelf portions which are supported and assembled as shown most clearly in Fig. l to provide a continuous shelf which extends from end to end and from front to back of the ice chamber. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, the top surface of the bottom wall of the casing which constitutes the floor of the ice chamber B inclines downwardly from the front and rear walls of the casing to the approximate longitudinal center of said bottom wall, and a drain 2 is provided for water which results from melting of the ice. The drain 2 preferably extends a slight distance above the top surface of the central portion of the bottom wall of the case, whereby a body of brine will be trapped at all times on the surface of the bottom wall of the case, as indicated at 3 in Fig. 3.

Disposed at the right-hand end of the casing of the display case refrigerator A when viewed as in Figs. 1 and 2 is a housing 4, which includes a vertically arranged upper portion 4a and an outwardly flared lower portion 4b. The lower portion 4b of the housing 4 includes an outwardly and downwardly inclined wall 5 which serves a 70 function to be hereinafter referred to. The nousing 4 includes also a portion 4c which is extended parallel with the bottom wall of the case A and communicates with the ice chamber B through the open end of said housing portion 4c. Adja- 'f5 cent to the portion 4b of the housing 4 the end wall of the case is provided with a cavity 6 in which a suitable air-moving device 7 such, for instance, as an electric fan is located.

At the end of the casing of the display case opposite to ,the end thereof at which the housing 4 is located is a vertically arranged air conduit 9. This air conduit communicates at its lower end with the ice chamber B through the opening 9 and is open at its upper end, as shown g5 in Fig. 1, the inner wall of said conduit contactn ing at its lower end with the bottom wall of the casing and being provided at its upper end with an angularly arranged air-deflecting portion 10. The outer wall of the air conduit 9 and the outer 90 wall of the housing 4 receive'in contact therewith the shelf 1 on which the articles of food are placed for display. Preferably this shelf is imperforate, and at its front and rear edges said shelf is supported by angle bars l2 which extend 95 from end to end of the interior of the case A and are supported by the front and back walls of said casing. Also, above the shelf 1 the casing of the display case is provided with a second shelf 13 which is suitably supported in place and preferably is imperforate, said shelf being spaced at its opposite ends from the air conduit 9 and the housing 4 at the opposite end wall of the case A to provide air passageways 13a, and also the front and rear edges of said shelf are spaced from ad- 105 jacent glass portions A2L and `Ab of the case to provide additional air passageways 13b.

Slidably supported by the front and rear walls of the refrigerating case A is a plurality of drawers 14 which are movable into and out of the ice 110 chamber B. The supporting means for each drawer 14 includes a pair of oppositely disposed channel elements 15, each of which Ais fixed at its opposite ends to the front and rear walls of the ca se with the aid of suitable bracket elements 16. Arranged within each channel element 15 is a similar channel element 1'? of reduced dimensions (Fig. 4), which has mounted thereon a plurality of upper rollers 18 and a plu-4 rality of lower rollers 19. Each drawer 14 includes an upper marginal wall portion 20 which is provided at the opposite sides of the drawer with horizontal flange portions 21, Vthese horif zontal flange portions being located at the lower edges of the side portions of said upper wall portion 20 and being interposed between the upper and lower rollers 18 and 19l referred to.

When the drawers 14 are moved into and out of the ice chamber B, the inner channel elements 17 are moved longitudinally of the channel elements 15, and to limit such movement in the outward direction I provide each inner channel element 17 with a stop 22 (Fig. 3) which engages a similar stop 23 fixed to the associated channel element 15. In like manner each drawer 14 is provided with a stop element 241 which contacts with a fixed part of the case A to limit outward movement of said drawer.

The lower portion of each drawer is produced by a suitable wire mesh or other pervious structure 25 having a bottom wall which preferably inclines downwardly from the longitudinal center of the drawer toward the front and rear thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. The pervious lower structure 25 of each drawer and the upper marginal wall portion thereof are secured together in order to provide a unitary structure, and both of these portions are rigidly fixed to a suitable closure element 26, which is movable to a position where it closes an opening 27 in the rear Wall of the case A. The marginal edge of the closure element of each drawer and the wall of the associated opening are provided with cooperating and corresponding staggered portions which serve to provide a tight joint when the closure element is in its closed position, and also said closure element is provided with locking elements 27 which are adapted to engage elements 28 fixed to 'the rear `wall of the case A in a manner to draw the closure element to a tightly closed position and lock said closure element in such position.

Associated with each drawer 14 is a drip pan 29 which is fixed at one end to the closure element 26 thereof and inclines downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, said drip pan being attached at its rear end to the pervious portion 25 of the drawer by an element 30 (Fig. 3). Each drip pan 29 is provided with upturned side marginal edge portions 31 to prevent discharge of water therefrom at the opposite sides thereof, and also each drip pan is provided at its inner end with a downturned lip 32 over which water is .discharged from the drip pan. The drip pan of each drawer is of such length that when the drawer is pulled out to the limit of its outward movement. the inner portion of the drippan will still be located within the ice chamber B .of the refrigerating case A.

Because of the particular manner of slidingly supporting the drawers 14 of the improved refrigerating case disclosed herein said drawers may be moved outwardly and inwardly with very little exertion, due to the fact that the inner channel elements 1'7 properly support the drawers for free movement when said drawers are in outwardly extended positions.

In the use of my improved display case refrigerator chipped ice, or chipped ice and salt, are introduced into the drawers 14, after which said drawers are moved to their closed positions and are securely locked in such positions. The electric fan '7, which is connected to a suitable source of electric energy, is placed in operation and airis thrown by the revolving blades of the fan against the lnclined wall 5 of the housing 4. The air so thrown by' the fan is deflected downwardly by the inclined wall 5 and is discharged through the housing portion 4c into the ice chamber B, through which ice chamber said air passes longitudinally to the opposite end thereof and then moves upwardly through the conduit 9 and is discharged above the shelf 13. Onbeing discharged above the shelf 13 the air spreads through the space above said shelf and passes downwardly through the air passageways at the opposite ends and at the front and rear edges of the shelf into the space between the shelf 13 and the shelf 1, said air then being drawn into the open upper end of the housing 4 by the fan 8 and being again circulated over the course described. i

The direction of travel of the air which is circulated through the display case is clearly indicated by arrows in Fig. 1, and it is perfectly obvious that as the circulating air passes through the ice chamber B it will pass through and in close proximity to the ice-containing drawers. The result of this will be that the -temperature of said air will be greatly reduced so that the air which isdischarged from the upper end of the conduit 9 will be quite cold. This cold air then moves through the spaces above the shelves 1 and 13, whereby the articles of food displayed on said shelves will be subjected to the refrigerating effect of said cold air. Also, it is plain that apart from the circulation of air, reduced temperature within the case A will result because of the presy /ber of the case by said drip pans, whence said drippings are drained off in the proper manner.

To shield the upper portions of the housing 4 and the air conduit 9 from the view of persons looking into the upper display portion of the case A, I provide plates 35 which extend transversely of said case, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator comprising a casing, means within said casing for supporting articles of food therein, an .ice chamber within said casing, airmoving means for forcing air through said ice chamber and moving same through said casing, means for controlling the course of said air, an ice-receiving receptacle, means for movably attaching said ice-receiving receptacle to said casing so as to permit movement thereof into and out of saidice chamber, and a drip pan associated with said ice receptacle and arranged to discharge water resulting from the melting ice within said ice receptacle into the ice chamber when the ice receptacle is extended outwardly of said ice chamber.

2. A refrigerator comprising a casing, means within said casing for supporting articles of food therein, an ice chamber within said casing, airmoving means for forcing air through said ice chamber and moving same through said casing, means for controlling the course of said air, an ice-receiving` receptacle, means for movably attaching said ice-receiving receptacle to said casing so as to permit movement thereof into and out of said ice chamber, and a drip pan associated with said ice receptacle and movable therewith and arranged to discharge water resulting from the melting ice within said ice receptacle into the ice chamber when the ice receptacle is extended outwardly of said ice chamber. Y

3. A refrigerator comprising a casing, means within said casing for supporting articles of food therein, an ice chamber within said casing, air-'- moving means for forcing air through said ice chamber and moving same through said casing, means for controlling the course of said air, an ice-receiving receptacle, means for movably attaching said ice-receiving receptacle to said casing so as to permit movement thereof into and out of said ice chamber, and an inclined drip pan associated With said ice receptacle and movable therewith and arranged to discharge water resulting from the melting ice within said ice receptacle into the ice chamber when the ice receptacle is extended outwardly of said ice chamber.

4. A refrigerator comprising a casing, means within said casing for supporting articles of food therein, an ice chamber within said casing, an ice-receiving receptacle, means for movably attaching said ice-receiving receptacle to said casing so as to permit movement thereof into and out of said ice chamber, and a'drip pan associated with said ice-receptacle and arranged to discharge Water resulting from the melting of ice within said ice receptacle into the ice chamber when the ice receptacle is extended outwardly of said ice chamber.

5. A refrigerator comprising a casing, means within said casing for supportingl articles of food therein, an ice chamber within said casing, means for movably attaching said ice-receiving recepwater resulting from the melting ice within said.

ice receptacle into the ice chamber when the ice receptacle is extended'outwardly of said ice chamber.

6 A refrigerator comprising a casing, means within 'said casing for supporting articles of food therein, an ice chamber within said casing, an ice-receiving receptacle, means for movably attaching said ice-receiving receptacle to said casing so as to permit movement thereof into and out of said ice chamber, and an inclined drip pan associated with said ice receptacle and movable therewith and arranged to discharge water resulting from the melting ice within said ice receptacle into the ice chamber when the icereceptacle is extended outwardly of said ice chamber.

7. A refrigerator comprising a casing, meansk spaced longitudinally of said ice chamber, said slidably supported ice-receiving drawers being movable through openings in a wall of the casing, closurel elements secured to said ice-receiving drawers and movable therewith for closing said openings when the ice-receiving drawers are in their closed positions, and drip pans associated with said ice-receiving drawers and arranged to discharge Water resulting from the melting ice within said ice-receiving drawers into the ice chamber when the ice-receiving drawers are extended outwardly of said ice chamber. n

8. `A refrigerator comprising a casing, means within said casing for supporting articles of food therein, an ice chamber Within said casing, airmoving means for forcing air through said ice chamber and moving same through said casing, means for controlling the course of said air, a plurality of slidably supported ice-receiving drawers spaced longitudinally of said -ice chamber, said ice-receiving drawers having pervious wall portions through which air may p ass into direct contact with ice Within the ice-receiving drawers, said slidably supported ice-receiving drawers being movable through openings in a wall of the casing, closure elements secured to said ice-receiving drawers and movable therewith for closing said openings when the ice-receiving drawers are in their closed positions, and drip pans associated with said ice-receiving drawers and arranged to discharge water resulting from the meltingice within said ice-receiving drawers into the ice chamber when the ice-receiving drawers are extended outwardly of said ice chamber.

9. A refrigerator comprising a casing, an ice chamber within said casing, air-moving means for forcing air in proximity to and through said ice chamber, means for controlling the course of said air, an iceereceiving receptacle having pervious wall portions through which air may pass into direct contact with ice within the ice-receiving receptacle, means for'movably attaching said icereceiving receptacle to said casing so as to permit movement thereof into and `out of said ice chamber through an opening in a wall of the casing, a closure element secured to and movable with said ice-receiving receptacle for closing said opening, and' a shelf forming a part of the refrigerator structure for supporting articles of food within said casing, said shelf being imperforate throughout its surface area and having its edges spaced from adjacent portions of the casing to permit passage of air from a space above the shelf to a4 space below the shelf.

l0. A refrigerator comprisinga casing, an ice chamber within said casing, air-moving means for forcing air in proximity to and through said ice chamber, means for controlling the course of said air, an ice-receiving receptacle having pervious wall portirn's through which air may pass into direct contact with ice within the ice-receiving receptacle, means for slidably attaching said ice-receiving receptacle to said casing so as to permit movement thereof into and out of said ice chamber through an opening in awall of the casing, a closure element secured to and movable with said ice-receiving receptacle for closing said opening, and a shelf forming a part of the refrigerator structure for supporting articles of food within said casing, said shelf being imperforate throughout its surface area and having its edges spaced from adjacent portions of the casing to permit passage of air from a space above the shelf to a space below the shelf.

THOMAS -J. KAVANAUGH 

